


Pearl's sacrifice

by MorteMistrata



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-14
Packaged: 2018-08-28 10:19:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8441953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorteMistrata/pseuds/MorteMistrata
Summary: Pearl gives Rose the greatest gift of all: her life in exchange for her son.





	1. Chapter 1

Rose would sometimes feel regret over Pearl's death.

It was her choice and she didn't deny her that...but she hadn't tried to sway her either. The allure of getting to meet her son, to spend the rest of Greg's lifespan together was too great and when she had suggested it, Rose had reculently said yes.

Their transfer had occurred without telling anyone else about it. Pearl saying nothing because no one else's opinion mattered and Rose because she knew it wasn't the right thing to do, even as she pretended that Pearl was simply being noble in giving her that. In giving Rose her own life.

Rainbow Quartz was not at all unsure of what she should do. Pearl had planned everything out perfectly before forming her. Rainbow Quartz would switch Rose's womb with the one that Pearl had recently made, and after giving her body time to adjust, would separate for the last time. Effectively by allowing one of her components to accept the transfer, she was killing herself. Rainbow was scared, but she felt that she had no other choice as per the emotions coming from both Rose and Pearl.

It was over in an instant, and as Rainbow sat down on the warm sand, she whispered her last words. "Goodbye Beach City."

One became two in a sudden burst of light. Where Rose had once been rounded, she was smaller and flat. She turned to look at Pearl with a small smile, only to freeze when she saw the strain that her newfound baby bump was putting on her body. Her pale skin seemed near translucent, but it was not like it was before retreating into her gem; It was closer to the color of a disrupted gem, as their body fought to keep their light solid. Her gem was glowing dimly, like it was on the verge of drawing a weapon.

Rose met her eyes, full of poorly described panic. "How does it...he feel?"

Pearl smiled softly. "Like you."

That day was still a big regret. She had seen the strain that Steven had on her; if she had cared enough, she should have taken Steven back to spare her friend the next two months to come. Those next two months…

Garnet was mad at her. She rationed her words more than she usually did, refusing to say anything unless it was essential to their mission. Amethyst was confused. She still didn't understand what was going to happen to P after Steven was born, no matter how many times Rose explained the process. Greg was relieved, although he tried to hide it. He didn't want her to die any more than she did, but he also felt guilty that someone else was carrying her burden. It was he who brought up the question: Does Pearl carrying Steven make him more hers than Rose's?

Rose wasn't sure how to answer that. She had put some of herself into him as she held him in her womb, but her main contribution would have been her gem. Pearl was to have that honor now, or rather, the burden. If she would make any biological contributions was to be seen.

Steven's birth, and consequently Pearl's death, was a somber experience. Garnet had said nothing to Rose throughout the ordeal. She spent Pearl's last few minutes talking to her, telling her sweet nothings that she had been afraid to tell during their years of war. It was quite obvious, to Rose at least, that Garnet loved Pearl, though the latter had never seen it through her own devotion for her leader. Rose did not speak until Pearl turned to her, a confused smile plastered on her face to hide her slight offence at not being coddled by the one she was dying for.

"I know you plan to call him Steven, right?" She asked, her voice hoarse and barely over a whisper.

Rose hesitated. "I do."

"Steven Akoya Universe." She stated, her gem glowing brightly as she finished. "Do you love me Rose?"

"I…" Rose choked on the last two words. "Love you, my Pearl." Her words were drowned out by the sound of Pearl screaming, juxtapositioned with the sound of a child crying, until the bright light faded and the only thing left was a screaming, pale faced child with a semi- circular pearl embedded into his forehead.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you didn't catch it, Akoya is a type of Pearl. It was used kinda like how Rose had the 'Quartz' as Steven's middle name. Anyways, I don't think that this story will be a long one. I have a plan for about four chapters, maybe five, so this story should be finished quickly.

Rose wasn't sure if she loved Steven or not. He was the result of five years with Greg and with very little planning involved. That wasn't to say that she didn't like him, or appreciate him, but she had to think. If she had've thought it out more, maybe Pearl would still be there with her. It wasn't until she was gone that Rose began to miss her, to realize how much she valued her unconditional love and support.

Pearl had always been there for her. She was the first to have been liberated. She had been Rose's first solider. She had been her confident for years and Rose trusted her with everything, because she knew that Pearl would give everything for her. And she did.

Instead of focusing on the dead and gone, she brought her thoughts to Garnet, who was still mourning her- and of course, was still mad at Rose. Although she had expected Garnet to also dislike Steven, she took a liking to him rather quickly.

After a week or two, she would lose track of Steven only to find him with Garnet hours later, watching the waves break on the beach. Steven would sit happily on top of her hair or sleep in her arms as she held him, silent as a rock. She really only spoke to Rose now when it was about Steven, like to remind her to feed him. Steven never cried when he was hungry, and she often forgot to feed him.

She supposed that he took after Pearl in that aspect.; after more than a millenia on Earth, food became less replusing and Rose found that she could often enjoy it. Pearl never did. The difference was that Pearl could survive just fine without food, but Steven depended on it to survive, half gem or not.

Amethyst wasn't sure what to do with him, but she let him play in her hair when he caught hold. She would often just watch him, before leaving for days on end. Rose never followed her, but she had an inkling of where she was going. Sometimes she would return, wearing a new pair of pants, or with a new but subtle design. Every time she almost asked what had happened. Every time Garnet had placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her. It hurt Rose to see that her family was falling apart, and at the middle of it was her. Her and her fickle wish for a child with the ability to choose had torn them apart and she wasn't sure how to put them back together again.

Greg had a job now, and was working to buy the carwash from the previous owner. Having never held a real job before, he was having trouble adjusting, especially since he had to do all of the work. When he returned back to the temple, he spent most of his time with Steven or attempting to construct the house. It was barely a frame, and even though he had the help of the three of them, construction went slowly. It was partially due to Amethyst's work ethic, which constantly ended with her destroying something but also because Greg was designing and paying for it himself. Rose had to wonder if it played a part in his hair, which was falling out in large clumps now. When Rose combed her fingers through his long locks, her fingers would catch long brown strings. Greg would simply sigh and try to ignore it.

Pearl would have said that it was just age, that it was none of her concern. After all, humans did age rather quickly and when an afternoon of their life felt like a moment in yours, years became irrelevant. Still, Rose had more than just a feeling that it was because of her and Steven that he was aging prematurely. And of course, there was the guilt.

Greg and Pearl did not like each other. Her sacrifice didn't change that, but he did have grudging respect for her. He hadn't asked her to give Steven back, though Rose knew it wouldn't have done anything. However, Greg still felt bad that she had died. He hated that for them to have a family someone had to die and he carried that weight with him everytime they were together.

Sometimes Rose really loved Steven. Those were the times when he'd let her hold him without crying or struggling first. Those were the times when he played in her hair and touched her gem and she knew that he thought of her as his mother.

Those were the times when Pearl had never existed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only a few chapters left!

Rose wasn't sure at what age she should tell him. Amethyst was pushing for sooner rather than later, but that was mostly due to her impatience; she wanted to stop self censoring things that they had deemed too much for Steven. Garnet was very quiet on the issue. Rose knew how the topic was a sore spot; Pearl was the historian of the group, the one who could reword even the smallest of rebellions to seem big and important. Greg was unsure of what she should do. Rose had waited years to tell him everything, and even then she still had her secrets. He knew how heavy a secret it was, to know that someone you loved was an alien who had killed people. It had nearly scared Greg to death. So Rose waited.

Suddenly, Steven was thirteen and his abilities were coming in at a fast pace. First, the holograms appeared. He rarely realised he was doing it unless someone told him. Most often the images would be day dreams or would compliment whatever he was talking about. But sometimes, they would be nightmares. It had scared Rose when she came out of her room to find a near see through Garnet fighting herself. Not because of the images, but because they showed that Steven saw the tension, still hidden barely beneath the surface. Those were becoming more and more common as the conversation continued to occur.

He had produced a spear three times by the time Garnet agreed to help train him. Amethyst didn't seem to care either way, and was happy to have someone new to spar with. All of these events had led to them warping to the Sky Arena, one of Pearl's favorite places, in complete and utter silence.

"What am I gonna practice on?" Steven asked, a smile plastered on his face. Garnet's expression softened.

"For now, we're going to try aiming at rocks. If you can handle that…"

"I can handle it!" He interrupted, excitement audible in his voice.

"Then you'll going against us."

Her response froze him for a moment. "Against...you?"

"Me first!" Amethyst said, grabbing his hand as he floated upwards. The warp ended and they stepped off the pad onto the crumbling floors of the Arena.

It was the same as it was last time; a bleak reminder of what had transpired all those centuries ago. Garnet got to work stacking rocks into piles of differing shapes and sizes as Rose turned to Steven.

She smiled softly, and he mirrored her, his own brighter and bigger. "Steven," She paused, unsure of how to say it. Rose hadn't planned on telling him now, or anything at all for that matter. But as they visited one of Pearl's favorite spots, she felt that it was right to tell him at least something about her, even as she struggled for words. "This was one of your...Pearl's favorite places. This is where we first met Ruby and Sapphire. It's where they first fused too. She used to practice here, and she taught others how to use a sword as well."

Steven's smile had melted as she spoke, leaving him with the look of a disappointed child. "Will I ever...be anything like her?"

Rose wanted to tell him that he didn't want to be like her. Pearl was weak and needy. She needed validation because she couldn't exist on her own, her identity couldn't separate from the gem and cause she had pledged her life to. Pearl was blind to everyone except for the few that she allowed herself to love, and even they got only what was left of her affections after she had given most to Rose. And Rose, she had thrown them away every time. She had taken them for granted and she hadn't cared.

Amethyst was watching her from her seat in the stands, their voices no doubt having had reached her. She forced her eyes to meet Steven's again. "You already are."

He smiled and hugged her, his warmth a familiar feeling through the softness of her dress. As his face was pressed to the pink fabric, she looked over at Garnet and saw nothing but her own reflection in her visor.

The rest of the day went smoothly and calmly, with Steven's aim just as terrible as she had expected. What she hadn't expected was for a corrupted gem to have made it's home in the crumbling catacombs of the arena. Its long, slender neck was a pale blue, much like the color that Pearl blushed. It was birdlike, although still plenty monstorous and somehow it seemed like her.

It only took Steven four tries to pierce through it's hide, the spear lodging itself into the nearest column.

They traveled back home in the same silence that had accompanied them there, only this time it was weighed down by two things: the weight of a dead gem, and the knowledge that Garnet had seen it all coming and had not felt that it was necessary to tell her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to post. Sorry. Other than that, thanks for the Kudos and comments. Let mt know how you've been liking the story. Or if you hate it. I accept flames as payment too. :)

Rose hadn't intended for it to have ended that way. But it did.

The next few days were tense, and though she hated to admit it, Rose could tell that they were rearing towards a fight. Which meant that Garnet did too. After nearly a week of short conversations and careful wordings, Rose decided that Garnet had had long enough.

The fusion stepped out of the room, a quiet bravery evident in her stance. It had been a while since she had held herself that way, and it had always been against an enemy; never was it towards Rose.

"You never told us about Bismuth." Garnet said, her unsaid accusation clearer than Rose's reflection in her visor.

"I withheld information about her because...I was scared that you would side with her." Rose lied, taking the easy route. How else do you explain to your second in command why you never spoke about her best friend's disappearance?

"It wasn't for our benefit." Garnet replied. Her left hand clenched almost imperceptibly. Ruby was getting tired of these word games.

Before Rose could state her rebuttal, Steven opened the door. The screen slammed. Pearl's picture, hanging above the door, shook on it's hook. They held their breath as Steven obliviously slid to a stop in front of them. His breath came out in deep heaves as he held up a picture.

It was similar to the family portraits Steven had drawn in kindergarten, except that the gems were fighting malicious shadows instead of standing under a smiling sun. Even with his crude drawing skills, Rose could tell who the extra person in the picture was by the spear she carried.

"Mom, Garnet, did I draw it right? Amethyst said you were in the strawberry fields, but there weren't any growing there back then, right?" A drop of sweat rolled down his forehead. Rose did not answer.

"It's perfect Steven, even though Pearl was using her sword then." Garnet's gentle critique made Steven pause and he looked up at her hopefully.

Something snapped inside her then. Maybe it was the drawing. Maybe it was how much Steven reminded Rose of her. Maybe it was the combined pressure of the last fourteen years. Whatever it was, it caused her to break.

Snatching the picture out of Steven's hands, she crumbled the picture before a pink bubble formed around it, whisking it away into the bubble room. "It doesn't matter! She doesn't matter! None of this matters, and it's stupid that we keep bringing it up because she's dead." She turned to Garnet. "She's dead and I killed her because I was too scared to go through with my plan. Just like I was too scared to tell you about Bismuth, or Crazy Lace or Lion! I want to move on, to forget that I was so stupid, but you won't let me." Rose wasn't sure who the last line was directed to. She supposed it didn't matter, as Garnet was the one who reacted the most.

Steven stared wide eyed as Garnet's gauntlets appeared before punching Rose. The unexpected hit through her all the way to the temple door. Her bubble appeared and she stood up before being punched again into temple.

Garnet's teeth were gritted as banged her fists against the bubble that refused to break. Each crash punctuated a word that she spat angrily. "It's. Not. About. You. This. Time." On the fifth hit, Rose couldn't hold it up any longer and she burst her bubble. She didn't even notice what room she was in as she drew her sword and charged.

Garnet dashed out of the way, and she charged again. As Garnet jumped, she drew her shield and threw it, knocking her out of the air. The fusion landed on her feet and rolled away as Rose slashed at her. Their deadly dance continued at Garnet growled. "It's always about you, Rose. Your wishes, your wants, your son. This is not about you. It's about her. It's about all the times you never gave her her due. This is for all of that time that you let Steven think he was only yours, when he's Pearl's son. And you what the difference is?"

Garnet launched her fists at her, and she brought her shield up too slow. The punch landed, knocking her over and nearly destroying her left arm. Switching her arms, she continued her assault and threw her shield again, this time conjuring three in a row. The barrage of shields were too fast for her to counter. With a grunt, Garnet reformed a gauntlet on her left hand, as the right shoulder flickered in and out of existence. Her lame arm lay limp at her side as she charged again.

"I'm stronger than her. That's all there is to it." Rose replied, knowing that the unsaid statement was just as clear. I'm better than her.

Rose didn't dodge out of the way this time, instead letting Garnet come to her. She raised her sword as Garnet punched, her left leg swinging up to knee her. Rose said nothing as her sword, went through her. It seemed too big for her body, like the fusion's seven feet of height were nothing.

"She's braver than you'll ever be." Garnet whispered as her gems gave out and clattered to the floor.

Rose dropped the sword. The clouds that made it softened and lost their form, just as Garnet had done, just moments before.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a while since she had seen Greg. With the recent flux of corrupted gems and the escalating tension between her and the other gems, she had not found the time to visit him. As she waited for Amethyst to return from her mission, the idea came to her, suddenly and strongly, to surprise him. The walk to the carwash was short and uneventful, a few of the beach city residents waving at her as she walked by.

The carwash was empty, except for Greg. He had fallen asleep in a lawn chair, smack-dab in the middle of the parking lot. Smiling gently, she nudged his shoulder. "Greg."

His eyes fluttered before snapping open. "Good morning."

"It's the afternoon." She protested as he stood on the chair to plant a kiss on her lips.

"Doesn't matter much, does it?" He replied before offering her his arm. "Something's got you down. Care for a walk?"

Rose nodded and took his arm. As much as Greg had changed, he was still so sweet. He knew her well, as well as any human would get to know her in a lifetime. They walked in an companionable silence for a few minutes, watching as the sun set the ocean aflame. What was she supposed to say? Rose knew the power of speech, of lies and of truth. She knew how to sharpen it into a weapon and sweeten it to go down easy. But right now, she had no idea how to say it.

"Greg, I fought Garnet today."

Greg looked up at her, his head tilted to the side. "Well, I'm glad you're alright."

"Garnet's not."

Greg's mouth twitched. He still didn't get it.

"She's reforming with Steven in- in Pearl's room."

Realization washed over his face. "Rose, how long does it normally take the two of them to reform?"

"Six hours, maybe a full day if she's really hurt."

He stopped, moved in front of her and grabbed both of her hands. "You've never apologized to her, Rose. I think you should," he said firmly. "Today."

OoOoO

Rose hadn't formed Pearl for a long time. She rarely used her room to make people anymore, and when she did, well, Pearl just wasn't her first choice. All that she could conjure of her was her in the throes of pregnancy, or in the beginning, when she was just a pearl and not a person. But today, she could remember her perfectly, right after Rose had announced that she wanted to start a rebellion.

Her hair was peach, skin clear and bright. Her eyes wide and brimming with hope and fear, and of course, love. It was then that Rose had loved her and that love has lasted throughout the war. This was the best of times.

"My Pearl."

"R-rose."

"You would die for me, wouldn't you?"

If Pearl was surprised at the line of questioning, she didn't show it. "I would."

Rose offered Pearl her hand and lifted her up. They began to dance, and the pink clouds slowly solidified into a ballroom floor. "And would you die for my dream?"

"I would." Pearl replied, a lazy smile spread across her face. "I would do anything for you, Rose. Do you have something planned?"

For a moment, she didn't know how to answer that. If she said the truth, this illusion would be shattered. But Rose had to ask her.

"If it were a selfish dream? One where I would live with my dream, with Gr-...with a human man alongside me. Pearl, would you stay that course if I ended up hating you at the end?"

Pearl was silent as she stopped their waltz to dip herself before twirling into Rose's arms. "I love you more than anyone Rose. I would die for you, no matter the circumstances, as long as I still mattered to you."

Rose pulled her in close, tilting her head as if to kiss her, before stopping and pressing her lips to Pearl's forehead. "I don't know if you will matter afterwards. I'm such a selfish person."

Rose dissipated her before she could see her expression. As much as she hated to, she knew that she had to apologize. She had done so much wrong in having Steven. She hadn't told Garnet about it, or asked Greg before she agreed. It was a rash decision, and one that Pearl shouldn't have made.

Steven was a mistake.

The realization came to her suddenly. Steven, as he was, was a mistake. She had wanted a child so that they could chose their own destiny and control their own life. And she had gotten a child, although Steven wasn't really her son, as much as she wanted to deny it. She shouldn't have had Steven at the expense of Pearl's life.

Rose waved her hand and a door formed, water spilling down from the top of the doorway to make a fountain. It had been thirteen years since she had made this door, since she had went into this room. She took a deep breath and walked through.

Steven was sitting on one of the water pillars, Ruby and Sapphire's gem's clutched in his grasp as he waited.

"Steven, I need to-"

"Go away!"

Rose paused. "I-I can't Steven. I need to speak to Garnet first. And you."

Steven uncurled a little bit, his grasp still tight on her gems. "Do you not like Pearl?"

Rose stuttered as she took a tentative step closer. "I did. I think I do now. I was- I am a little jealous. I should have had you myself and I blame her for being the one you look up to."

"It sounds like you blame her for dying." Steven muttered, still not turning to look at her.

"I might."

Steven gently placed Garnet's gems on the water-like surface and stood up. He looked up at her and asked, "Will you talk about her now? And will you stop ignoring her?"

"I will. I promise, Steven. She's...she's your mother after all."

She wasn't sure what she had expected from him, but certainly not a hug. He tried his best to wrap his arms around her large girth and buried his face in her stomach, the side of his cool pearl pressed to her gem. "So are you."

A bright flash of light surrounded Garnet's gems behind them, and they separated as the two rose and formed two distinct figures. The two fell to the ground. Ruby glared at her for a moment, before turning to Sapphire. They embraced, and in another flash, they were one.

Garnet said nothing for a moment. Her hands shook, but she said nothing.

Rose forced the words out. "I'm sorry about Pearl. For not talking about her and feeling jealous. You were right Garnet. I'm sorry that I made you reform. I-"

"That's enough." Garnet said, her voice low and dangerous.

Rose nodded.

Garnet continued. "You've done enough Rose." She walked to the nearest wall and a door appeared, the familiar inside to her room visible in the small gaps around her figure as she disappeared into the doorway.

Even though her apology had finally been rejected, Rose felt better. She offered Steven her hand and they walked away, walked through the endless expanse of water as she began. "Your mother didn't know what a sword was when she first formed it. She thought it was…"


	6. Chapter 6

One shot #1

Steven wasn't sure when he realized that the gem known as Rose quartz wasn't his mother. He loved her and called her 'mom' because she was the woman who had raised him for the most part, the woman whom his father had married and of course, she was the one who had planned to have him. No one had told Steven about Pearl, at least not in detail, until he was twelve. His mother would cringe or have to choke the words out when he asked, and Garnet didn't like to talk about her much when Rose was around.

It was when he was twelve that he realized how different he was from his mom. She loved to eat. Dad would take her out to fancy restaurants in Empire city when he had the money, and though he had been invited along once or twice, Steven had a hard time choking down the food. He had grown accustomed to liquids, so juices and water were fine, but solids made him feel sick. After nearly ten years of trying to get him to eat, they had given up and gave him calorie pills and vitamins instead.

Another thing that separated Rose and him was their fighting style. Amethyst wasn't supposed to tell him, but she had told Steven that his natural weapon was a spear or sword, and that Rose had a shield. If Steven were her child and her child only, they would have the same weapon. Besides that, no matter how many times she tried to teach him short distance battle techniques, he couldn't pick them up. He did his best at long distance.

There were other small things too. Sometimes Rose would love him so much, he could almost smell it in the air. Other times it was like she could barely look at him. Those were the times when he pretended that she was directing that hate at something else.

It was when he turned fourteen that he decided to force them to talk about her. He brought her up everytime he had a chance. He asked Garnet about her more and more. Steven could see the tension between Garnet and his mom, knew that he was part of it, but what could he do? To stop asking about Pearl was to get them nowhere; they both needed to talk about her, because even though she was long gone, she was still there and everyone refused to acknowledge her presence.

Then there was that day, the day when they fought. It had started innocently. He had honestly just wanted to get the picture right. With that one question, Rose had exploded. That fight had lasted less than ten minutes, and even though he had only seen half of it, it still haunted him. He had started it. He was the reason why Garnet was regenerating.

There were still plenty of questions. Why didn't she use her future vision? Why did Rose take it that far? But at least he now knew more about his two mothers, and though Garnet was still mad, he knew that their family would be fine with time to mend it.

One shot #2

Amethyst knew something was very wrong when Rose and Pearl came home that day. Pearl was different. Rose was different. Before she knew it, everything had changed.

Pearl had come home with Rose's baby bump. It had looked fitting on Rose's large frame, but on Pearl, it appeared like a parasite that was leeching away her light. It was like P was barely even there. Sure, she was visible, but she was strangely see through and she felt too soft to be alive.

Rose was healthy looking, almost as if she could go to battle that very day. But she carried a strange smell to her now. One that was achingly similar to guilt.

Garnet tried to explain it to her, how Pearl wasn't going to be alive after she made the baby. Amethyst really didn't get it. Gems didn't die unless they were shattered, and Pearl's gem wasn't going to be shattered. Rose had explained it to her too, many times, but she didn't like to be around her as much as she used to. She had that same sad feel as Pearl did, but without the same smile.

Steven's birth was a quick affair, one that Amethyst wasn't there to see. Pearl had asked for something simple before it was over: one of the swords left in the strawberry fields. It was one that even Amethyst remembered. It was her favorite sword, one lost in the throes of war and left to age in the deserted battleground. The only reason they had not retrieved it sooner was because they didn't have time, and Pearl never wanted to go against Rose's wishes.

So Amethyst got it for her. Even when flying at top speed, it still took her nearly six hours to get it and come back. When she returned, the taste of metal still in her mouth and the feel of air still on her wings, she found a wailing baby, a crying Rose, and Garnet, shivering and trying to hold herself together. She dropped the sword.

Amethyst couldn't do this. She wasn't good with emotions or people with emotions. So she did what she did best: she ran. The warp pad was closer, but she ignored it and took off towards the sea. She wasn't sure how long she flew or which direction she was going in; she only knew where she landed. The kindergarten was as empty as the day she crawled out of it. It was silent and echo-y and felt like home. She crawled into her hole and made herself as small as possible.

She wasn't sure when she woke up. She only knew that it was sometime in the dark hours.

Amethyst crawled out of her hole and looked up at the sky. Where was Pearl now? Was she still in hs gem, waiting for his death so that she could return? Or was she simply gone? Amethyst shook away the thoughts and shapeshifted into a bird. The flight was long and uneventful, leaving her with plenty of time to think about it.

If Steven died, would that bring Pearl back? How long would he live anyways? Amethyst guessed no longer than 200 years, which wasn't that long on the gem calendar, but still...it was far too long.

So Amethyst kept flying and stopped thinking, and for a moment, she became a real bird. And then she returned to temple, as cold and empty as the kindergarten and the illusion that everything was alright shattered.


End file.
